Sen. Shafer Responds to Exoneration by State Senate

Sen. David Shafer’s campaign released released the following statements from Sen. Shafer and his attorney in response to today’s report from the Georgia Senate. The report dismisses the allegations made against him based upon an independent investigation that found “a lack of credible evidence to support the allegations.” A copy of the Senate’s letter to Sen. Shafer can be seen after comments.

Statement from Senator David Shafer

“As I have said from the beginning, these allegations were false. I welcomed the appointment of a respected outside investigator, even though she is a partisan Democrat, because I knew that any serious investigation would result in my complete exoneration.

“As much as I appreciate having my good name cleared, the sad reality is that the resources and time spent investigating lies like these take away from the real suffering experienced by actual victims.

“I look forward to continuing our work in Georgia on behalf of working families to reduce taxes, protect life, and as their next Lieutenant Governor, ensure that Georgia remains an engine of economic envy for the entire country.”

Statement from Senator Shafer’s Attorney Jennifer Little

From the outset, we knew the allegations against Senator David Shafer were completely fabricated and were quite frankly ridiculous on their face.

Over the past 5 weeks during this exhaustive investigation, we proactively provided evidence which proved each and every allegation in this Complaint to be false. Senator Shafer welcomed this investigation and cooperated fully, knowing he was completely innocent and confident that he would be exonerated.  Senator Shafer sat for two interviews, totaling over five hours, answering every single question posed.

He produced overwhelming evidence that disproved her allegation, including :

  • 68,000 telephone records;
  • 700 pages of legislative voting history;
  • 7 years of email correspondence; and
  • More than 15 independent witnesses

Each of these, point by point, refuted every one of these false allegations.  We welcomed this scrutiny because we knew that a thorough investigation would clear Senator Shafer’s name. We are grateful but not surprised by the Senate’s decision today.

It is sad to see so many taxpayer dollars spent to investigate such obviously false and politically motivated allegations but that is was makes this country great- our core principles of justice allow for all claims, regardless of their merit, to be fully investigated, heard and reviewed.

Like many women who have been victims of sexual harassment, I was excited to see Georgia leading the charge in response to the nationwide #metoo movement.  I was inspired that my legislature was stepping up and creating rules to eradicate this type of behavior which exists in all industries.

What saddens me to my core, as a female who spent her career working on behalf of victims, is knowing that there are real victims out there dealing with these issues day in and day out.  Knowing that the first test case in Georgia – the first person to utilize these new tools for good- was in fact utilizing them for evil.

Ladies and Gentleman, make no mistake. Politics has hit yet another low today because this complaint was nothing more than a political smear campaign. It is simply not a coincidence that these decades old lies were perfectly timed on the heels of Senator Shafer’s qualification to run for Lt Governor.

David Shafer’s political opponents need to explain what they knew about this, when they knew about it, and what involvement they had in concocting this false smear campaign.

Anyone that knows Senator Shafer knows this is something he would never do.  Countless women who have known and worked with Senator Shafer in every stage of his life came forward to defend him speaking highly of his character, the way he has conducted himself and how he has treated others – especially women.

But it shouldn’t take a full senate investigation, countless taxpayer dollars, thousands of pages of documentation, years of correspondence and voting history, and thousands in legal fees to protect a good name in response to outright lies.

While we were confident all along that these malicious allegations had zero support, we believed in the right for the complaint to be heard.  Now, the committee has exonerated him and found the allegations to be completely without merit.  It is now time for the Senator to return to the business of the citizens of Georgia. 

 

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